Theft/Shoplifting/Non-Citizen:
A client who was a foreign national with a green card retained me after
being stopped for shoplifting. A criminal conviction could result in
deportation. My client paid a civil fine to the store, which agreed it
was satisfied and didn't wish a criminal charge to proceed. No charge
was filed.

Theft/Identity Theft: A mother retained me to represent her adult
daughter facing multiple state felony charges here after completing a
sentence in federal prison. The client had completed long-term drug
treatment. We persuaded the court to reinstate bail so she could travel
on her own back to the state. Her family paid full restitution to the
victim. The prosecution reduced the multiple felonies to a single
misdemeanor and released the client to return to her home state to live
with her family.

Insurance Fraud: A client retained me after he was convicted in Pierce
County. His lawyer failed to appear repeatedly for hearings. He fell
asleep in the hallway during trial recesses. I investigated and
discovered the lawyer was then in in-patient drug treatment. He had been
suspended from practice while he was representing my client, and had
been defending himself against a drug charge in King County. Our motion
for new trial based on ineffective assistance of counsel was granted.

Shoplifting: A woman "of a certain age" was arrested for shoplifting.
She had never in her life been accused of wrongdoing. She had raised her
children. She had financial resources. She didn't understand herself
why she had stolen something she could have bought. I referred her to a
counselor who diagnosed her with depression, based in part on her stage
of life. She made amends with the victim. We negotiated a continuance on
the condition she work with the counselor for a period of time, and the
case would then be dismissed.